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Why Our Orthodontic Practice has a Facebook Page

Beach Braces understand the value of social media and how convenient it can be to find information and receive updates from your favorite businesses online. We decided that it was time for our staff to take to Facebook as well so that we can provide top-quality customer service across the Facebook social network and deliver information in this comfortable format.

On our Facebook page you will find regular updates, information, orthodontic tips, and events that our office is involved in within the community. By following along with our office you can feel more connected to our staff and also has a lot of your questions answered simply by checking your Facebook feed every day.

Our goal is to become more accessible as an office as well as a little less intimidating. Calling up your orthodontist when you have a question or learning more about your orthodontic treatment is something that a lot of people really struggle with. We find that by putting this information up online on Facebook and linking users back to our website or to helpful information we might find online, we can keep our patients informed about any new tips or advice we might have. This means that if we had discovered a new way that you can for instance, clean your retainer or better care for your oral health you can instantly get these updates right on your Facebook newsfeed. We also provide ongoing information concerning all of the treatment options that we have available so that if you did want to do a bit of extra homework and learn exactly how we are working to bring you a better smile, you can find out exactly how your orthodontic appliance was made and future steps for your treatment.

On Facebook we are very reachable, our staff is constantly checking back to create a really engaging page for all of our patients and other individuals within our community. If you have a question about orthodontic treatment or a concern about your own treatment please feel free to send us a message over Facebook and we can reply to you. You never know when your question might be applicable to someone else’s treatment or help somebody out so don’t be afraid to ask us anything over Facebook.

Along with information we are also pleased to show off some of our great work. We regularly post fun photos and before and after photos so that you can see just what orthodontic treatment could do for you. The idea is to make it easy for individuals who have received orthodontic treatment tour Beach Braces to recommend us to their friends or family members so that we can make a difference in their lives as well.

For ongoing tips with orthodontic care, better customer service and information, as well as some great stories that you can use to inspire you throughout your orthodontic treatment, please visit our Beach braces Facebook page and follow us today. If you have any more questions about our Facebook page feel free to contact us online or through our Beach Braces website directly.

Maya Got her Braces Off

Beach Braces is the best provider of high quality orthodontic treatment in Manhattan Beach, CA. Dr. Panucci is very friendly and caring orthodontist for both kids and adults. Maya is a highly satisfied little patient of Beach Braces, South Bay, CA. Watch the video to know more about her experience with Beach Braces.

Perfect smile is very important to boost up your kid’s self esteem. Contact us today for your child orthodontic treatment.

Eating Christmas Dinner with Braces

These days more people are wearing braces than ever before as so many brands available are almost invisible like Invisalign . As a result this means people are far less conscious of trying to improve their facial appearance through this technique.

When Christmas Day comes around and Christmas dinner is on the table waiting to be lovingly tackled, then those people with braces will be thinking about different ways of handling it without either damaging their braces or embarrassing themselves by snapping them while in the process of eating a piece of a Christmas cake. It is not that hard to enjoy the Christmas meal and all its festivities without damaging your braces. You just have to think about those foods that might be more difficult to eat and might create avoidable damage to your orthodontic appliance.

The most important foods to avoid are hard substances such as nuts that we might customarily open by cracking the outer part of the nut on our teeth. This could most certainly cause damage to braces. The wires could bend so that their purpose of ensuring your teeth move in the right direction is destroyed. Anything too sticky could also do damage as pieces can get lodged in between the brackets and your teeth. This could disturb the function of the braces so it will take longer for the braces to complete the job required. Basic common Christmas food, such as turkey, ham and most vegetables, won’t do any damage at all as long as the hard vegetables have been sufficiently cooked or cut up into small manageable pieces. Beach Braces has produced a special video for you to learn about foods that you should avoid with braces.

To give some useful examples for guidance, bread with a hard crust, carrots that have not been cooked and crisp apples could all damage braces. Once you sit down at that family get together just take the eating part slowly as some of the food you might not have eaten before since your braces were fitted might cause some discomfort. A gooey Christmas cake, mince pies or Christmas pudding could clog up your braces making eating and chewing more difficult and this amongst other things could distort your smile. By the way you can use our Beach Braces app to ask questions from Dr Panucci, monitor your treatment progress and much more.

When it comes to a drink with your Christmas dinner, you might have to change from your favorite drink, particularly if you like sugary drinks, such as sodas. This is because the sweet substance in a soda can become lodged between the brackets and your teeth and can cause the onset of tooth decay. It is far more difficult to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth while brackets are in place so the best way to avoid bad breath and tooth decay is to avoid the food that encourages the onslaught of tooth decay. However, if you have somehow got yourself in an uncomfortable situation by damaging your braces just contact Beach Braces for the earliest possible appointment to fix them.

Toothbrushing Mistake No.9: “Not Letting the Toothbrush Dry”

There is more bacteria found in your mouth than any part of your body hence when you brush your teeth, some stays on your toothbrush. People don’t usually mind if their toothbrush is not dry before storing them, and since most people store their toothbrush in the bathroom, a place where airborne bacteria is common, your damp toothbrush is the most appropriate choice for these bacteria to thrive in.

Not letting the toothbrush dry well enough can contaminate it. Contamination happens because there’s moisture left in your toothbrush making it a good environment for bacteria and germs to grow. When bacteria builds up during the time your toothbrush is stored, you will be putting more bacteria into your mouth the moment you start brushing. This is not cleaning your mouth at all; this is reestablishing the old bacteria in your mouth through your contaminated toothbrush. Of course, you don’t want this happening as the more bacteria in your mouth means more tooth decay.

In order to prevent this, make sure to air dry your toothbrush first before storing it in a cool and dry place. Also make sure that the container allows the air to flow, so your toothbrush can breathe properly and moisture can be prevented. Keeping your toothbrush dry literally means keeping your toothbrush clean and safe from bacteria which loves to thrive in damp places.

Brushing teeth correctly is very important . For more Toothbrusing Facts, visit our blog.

Playing Sports and Invisalign

Many parents have voiced their concern about their kids wearing orthodontic braces and participating in physical activities. Dr. Panucci assures us that wearing braces should not deter a child from participating in sports.

There are a few precautions that children wearing braces should take if they are participating in full contact sports. They need to make sure they are wearing protective mouth guards.

There is the alternative of bubble wrapping your child, although it’s not highly recommended, watch the hilarious how to do video below:

Invisalign is an excellent choice for active teens. Invisalign Teen gives you the benefits of straighter teeth without the hassle of metal braces. Because Invisalign is removable, the plastic aligners pop out very easily before heading out to the field or participating in other contact sports.

Whether you have Invisalign braces or conventional braces don’t let them stop you from participating in contact sports.

Traditional Metal Braces vs. Damon System Braces vs. Clear Aligners

Today you now have a choice in planning your orthodontic treatment! Taking a proactive part in designing your treatment can help you better understand how appliances work and why you should follow their strict instructions. Since numerous types of appliances are now available, choosing among them might be hard for those who have little knowledge regarding their advantages and disadvantages. In order to prevent regrets during or after your treatment, it is best to gain broad awareness about orthodontic treatments. Below is a good comparison of traditional metal braces and clear braces you can use as your guide.

Examining each of them and comparing them with each other can help you calculate which option is best for you. By “best” we mean lesser pain, lesser discomfort, more convenience, lesser cost, and shorter treatment duration. Since having all these advantages at once is hard to achieve given you have limited resources or other restrictions, you can pick which criteria you prefer the most such as price, duration, or convenience and base your decision on it.

Traditional Metal Braces

Traditional metal braces are known for their strength and durability that can withstand the test of time for patients of all ages. These braces require an elastic rubber band, also called ligature, in order to connect or hold the archwire into the bracket. On the other hand, some orthodontists utilize metal tie wires instead of these elastic bands. These tie wires are twisted around the bracket thus enabling them to apply pressure on your teeth. This pressure will then slowly move your teeth to their desired positions over time.

Advantages

These kind of braces are less expensive compared to the other types of braces thus it is the most commonly used worldwide to keep orthodontists overhead down. You are allowed you to play with multi-colored ligatures that serve as decorations on your teeth when you smile. Aside from that, an option for a darker ligature is also available for those who smoke or drink coffee in order to hide staining.

Disadvantages

Traditional metal braces are easier to notice compared to the Damon System Bracket or Damon Clear Braces. Because of this, most teens and adults prefer the smaller Damon Braces or even clear aligners. Furthermore, since this type of braces is cemented on your teeth, proper brushing and cleaning is a must in order to prevent tooth decays. Lastly, metal braces tend to be uncomfortable at first 3 weeks as your tongue, cheek, and lips get used to it. The older bracket systems also require more force to get the teeth to move which translates to discomfort for the patient. Because of this, Dr. Wilson has chosen to not use the older braces systems in his office due to less patient satisfaction upon completion of treatment and a less superior result that the Damon System

Damon System Braces

The Damon Bracket system is the leading orthodontic bracket on the market today. It is the only “passive, self-ligating bracket” and has a special patent that no other braces system can reproduce. It’s know for getting a more superior result in a shorter time with less discomfort. It is the “Cadillac” of all braces systems out there today. It’s also know for giving the patient a wider, more esthetic smile that can not be achieved with other braces systems.

Advantages

The advantages over traditional braces or the old bracket systems are many. Just to list a few: Smaller bracket, more hygienic, less discomfort, faster treatment times, fewer appointments, a broader/fuller smile, along with many more advantages.

Disadvantages

It is the most expensive braces system out there, which is why most orthodontists don’t use it because it increases their overhead. However, Dr. Wilson has elected NOT to charge a premium or increase his fees because of this since he is able to finish his patients faster and in fewer appointments so this decreases the time needed for each patient as far as overall chair time, which tends to wash out his increased overhead on the bracket. Thus, this creates a built-in savings for the patient.

Clear Aligners

Having clear braces is a good option for those who don’t have the confidence to wear metal braces. Clear braces are made up of plastic and the most common brand is Invisalign. Unlike metal braces, clear braces or aligners need to be replaced once every two weeks.

Advantages

The main advantage of using clear braces is cosmetic. Patients are conscious regarding how they look when friends and families notice their weird appliances such as palatal expander, metal braces, or metal retainers. Aside from that, since clear aligners are removable, it will be easier for you to clean the appliances as well as your teeth. You can even remove them when playing instruments, swimming, or engaging in sports.

Disadvantages

Because of its convenience and comfort, clear braces are slightly more expensive compared to other types of braces. They are also more fragile so handling them carefully is a must in order not to break them. Furthermore, there’s a higher risk of losing them since you can easily remove them and misplace your braces case or holder. However, Invisalign Teen has 6 replacement aligners for free built in.

“A Smile is the Universal Welcome”

Beach Braces Smile Quote #6 “A Smile is the Universal Welcome”

Studies say that it takes more muscles to produce a frown than a smile. Why spend all that time and energy on something so negative? If you want to appear more positive and appealing to others a smile is the best place to start. However, not everyone is born with the perfect smile. With medical and technological advances now there are options for correction in our smile. You have the option to get metal braces, clear braces, and invisalign. Not only that, but the orthodontist can help with dental hygiene in order to keep your smile as bright as possible. Getting corrective dental assistance will help you feel more comfortable with your smile. When you are comfortable with your own smile you will also feel more comfortable with yourself, making it easier to meet others. If you want to feel more comfortable with yourself and your smile, take the steps to getting a consultation and ultimately a better smile. Think of all the things a smile will get you as opposed to the frown you have now. Make the first move, call for a consultation today!

Nicky’s Orthodontic Treatment Day 3

Today we join Nicky S on day 3 of her Orthodontic Treatment with Beach Braces.

On day 3 we find Nicky is feeling more comfortable wearing both her upper and lower braces. She is talking clearer and her inner cheeks are getting used to the braces too. You can watch Nicky’s vlog below:

Life With Braces – Wax

Do Braces Hurt?

Sometime when you are new to braces they can cause a little discomfort in your mouth and cheeks. This is perfectly natural and nothing to worry about. You’ll soon get used to them but you can use a little wax to stop them causing you minor irritation. To alleviate the discomfort, Nicky used a little wax.

After squeezing out a small amount of wax from two tubes she mixes it together so the two compounds react and starts to set. She then stuck it on to the wire or bracket that was causing the slight discomfort and within a couple of minutes it sets leaving her mouth irritation free.